VANDALISED remains of a historic Oxfordshire site are being placed on the national Heritage At Risk Register as another of the county's ancient sites was saved.

Grade I listed ruins of St Nicholas' College at Wallingford Castle could receive vital funding following the move, which ensures they are preserved for years to come.

The castle motte and Saxon defences at the Bullcroft and Kinecroft parks will also be added to Historic England’s latest register, published today.

This comes after Asthall Barrow, an Anglo-Saxon burial mound near Witney, saw its future secured this year, nine years after it was added to the register.

The site contains an important seventh-century burial mound and work was completed to clear the foliage, retain the sycamore tree and exclude rabbits.

Attention now turns to St Nicholas' College, which has seen its remains damaged by vandals and the motte eroded by visitors to the gardens.

All three sites have been named as Scheduled Monuments.

Last year, town councillor Adrian Lloyd said the council called a specialist historic building expert to assess damage after the ruins in Castle Gardens were vandalised in 2016.

The council was warned repairs to St Nicholas College could cost £500,000.

Mr Lloyd said: “The town council has been having discussions over the past year with Historic England about these historic ruins.

“Now they are on the register we are in a much better position to bid for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other organisations to protect the ruins.

“The council could still face having to find a substantial sum itself. We want to do everything we can to preserve the town’s history and this recognition from Historic England will help us.”

St Nicholas College was founded by Robert D’Oyley inside his castle walls at Wallingford.

A Historic England spokesman said after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, from 1536, the college was used by fellows of Christ Church in Oxford as a refuge from plague.

The buildings fell into disrepair after the Civil War siege of the castle and only sections of the walls survive, with the masonry badly affected by the weather.

The Heritage at Risk Register, now in its 20th year, is Historic England’s tool for shining a light on listed buildings and places that need most help.

Asthall Barrow was one of 16 sites saved in the South East and was originally added due to the risk of unmanaged trees and scrub and damage from active rabbit burrowing.

The burial monument has an unusual feature of a dry stone wall at the base of the mound, much of which remains visible.

The work was completed in partnership with the owners and voluntary wardens from the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the sycamore tree making the barrow visible from the A40.

The at-risk list already features Dike Hills at Dorchester-on-Thames and All Saints Church in North Moreton, while Vale of White Horse scheduled ancient monuments include the White Horse near Uffington.